KUALA LUMPUR, August 2 — Vaccine Minister Khairy Jamaluddin expects the surge in Covid-19 infections in the Klang Valley to reach a peak this month, after vaccination was ramped up in the virus epicentre under the recently concluded Operation Surge Capacity.
The commercial region of Selangor and Kuala Lumpur has been recording the highest Covid-19 case incidence and death rates in the country for weeks. Since July 20, Selangor has been reporting more than 5,000 daily new infections, including a 24-hour record high of 8,500 cases on July 26.
“I think we are getting to the peak and then hopefully, as far as the Klang Valley is concerned, we’re getting to the peak maybe another week or so, then hopefully there is an inflection point there,” Khairy told reporters at the weekly Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF) briefing today.
Operation Surge Capacity, which aimed to give all adult residents in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose by August 1, concluded yesterday with 96.7 per cent of the adult population in the Klang Valley receiving at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine. About 37.5 per cent of Klang Valley’s adult population has been fully vaccinated, according to CITF data.
“It is still a successful campaign although it did not hit the 100 per cent mark, but at 96.7 per cent. We will ensure the remaining 3 per cent, who may have cancelled or did not attend their appointments, will receive their vaccination within the first week of August.
“They will receive their vaccination either via appointments or walk-ins at designated vaccination centres (PPVs),” Khairy said, adding that the CITF will now focus on a “mop-up” operation in the Klang Valley to address groups that have not received their Covid-19 vaccination.
Between July 26 and August 1, a total of 1,655,217 vaccine appointments were issued under Operation Surge Capacity in the Klang Valley.
